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These Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites are my favorite healthy way to satisfy cravings for Buffalo wings. Admittedly, I crave deep fried, butter drenched wings more than I should.
Buffalo Chicken Bites are the perfect appetizer to enjoy on game day, but also healthy enough to make anytime a craving hits. Our buffalo chicken bites are made with simple ingredients, yet full of delicious buffalo sauce flavor that make this the perfect appetizer!
Classic buffalo wings are deep fried, tossed in butter, then tossed in buffalo sauce. Even Instant Pot buffalo chicken wings are typically not the best choice for your healthy eating plan.
Chicken wings are made up almost entirely of fat, and while butter is fine in moderation, the sheer amount used in most wing recipes is not. This healthy chicken recipe hits all your favorite buffalo sauce flavors, and is more filling because you’re getting the meat, not just skin.
While this recipe is written for the Instant Pot, you can cook it in any electric pressure cooker! It takes about 15 minutes. These spicy, buttery, Buffalo Chicken Boneless Wings are a healthy homemade version alternative to traditional buffalo wings.
Where’s the Recipe?
My readers come from all levels of experience in the kitchen and I receive a lot of questions about recipes. To better serve everyone, I’m committed to put a ton of helpful information in all of my posts.
If you’d like to skip over buffalo chicken ingredient information, the recipe tips, and healthy eating plan calculations, please simply scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will find the easy to print Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites recipe card!
Ingredients in Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites
- Chicken breast: Chicken breasts are a healthy low carb protein source. Boneless skinless chicken breasts work great for this recipe. If you prefer dark meat you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this buffalo chicken recipe.
- Cayenne pepper: Cayenne blends nicely with the hot sauce to create the perfect spicy flavor for your buffalo sauce. If you need to tame the spice level a bit, feel free to omit or decrease the amount of cayenne pepper.
- Butter: I use butter in this buffalo chicken recipe, because traditional fried chicken bites have that delicious buttery flavor. If you prefer, you can use another type of fat like avocado oil or olive oil to cook your chicken in.
- Black pepper: Good seasoned chicken needs black pepper.
- Franks Hot Sauce: There are a lot of different buffalo sauces available, but I prefer the original Frank’s red hot sauce. Traditional buffalo sauce has a ton of extra ingredients in it that make it less healthy. The Frank’s red hot sauce is just salt, peppers, and vinegar. This is all you need and you will still get all the buffalo flavor. You won’t miss the extra stuff, I promise!
- (Optional) Ranch Seasoning: If you need to make some dip, our ranch seasoning is the best! Scroll down to find the recipe for our ranch dip in the recipe tips below.
How to Make Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites
Step 1: Prep your chicken by slicing your chicken into bite-sized strips.
Turn the Instant Pot to saute mode and add the butter to the pot. Once butter is melted, add the chicken, cayenne pepper (optional), salt, and pepper to taste. Coat each piece of chicken so it’s seasoned evenly.
Step 2: Add ½ cup buffalo sauce (reserve an extra 1/4 cup of buffalo sauce to add at the end) into your pot with the melted butter.
Step 3: Stir the chicken pieces, spices and sauce together, and then place chicken in a single layer. Try to avoid overlapping the chicken pieces.
Step 4: Close and lock the lid to your Instant Pot and turn the steam valve to sealing. Using the manual or pressure cook setting, cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
Once the cook time is complete, the pressure and remove the lid. You can remove chicken from the pot and drizzle the remaining hot sauce on top and eat now, or skip ahead to the next step to add some more texture to your wings.
Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken and drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup of buffalo sauce on top and then eat now, or skip ahead to Step 5 for my preferred method.
Step 5: Transfer the cooked chicken to a baking sheet and drizzle it with the remaining ¼ cup of buffalo sauce. Then broil for 2-3 minutes until the buffalo sauce is thickened and the chicken bites are golden brown.
Step 6: Let cool for about 5 minutes and then serve with carrots, celery, or your favorite sides like ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Recipe Tips
- My favorite dip for these buffalo bites is this ranch dip. Take a small container of plain Greek yogurt, and add 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp parsley, and 1/2 tsp dill. Stir to combine.
- If you’re making this recipe with frozen chicken breasts, increase the cook time to 16 minutes and cut into bite-sized pieces after it’s cooked.
- If you’re short on time you can skip broiling and just toss the cooked chicken with the remaining buffalo sauce, but broiling is the best way to get that golden brown crispy exterior.
- I really prefer these when they’re fresh. However, you may save any remaining chicken leftovers for meal prep by storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat simply warm the buffalo chicken bites in an air fryer basket on low, or in the oven at a low temperature.
Healthy Eating Plans
Weight Watchers Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites
See this post for our WW Buffalo Chicken Bites.
21 Day Fix Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites
For the entire recipe: 8 Red Containers, 6 Teaspoons.
Per Serving: 1 Red Container, ¾ Teaspoon.
2B Mindset Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites
Serve with 50% veggies and 25% FFC for a complete lunch. 75% veggies for a complete dinner.
More Healthy Instant Pot Recipes
Buffalo Chicken Bites
Equipment
- Instant Pot 6 qt
- Kitchen Knife
- Sealing Rings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breast defrosted, cut into strips (I’ve also used frozen chicken breasts, please see below)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ cup Frank's Original Hot Sauce not buffalo sauce
- ¼ cup Frank's Original Hot Sauce save for after chicken has been cooked
Instructions
- Slice your chicken into bite-size strips. 2 lbs chicken breast
- Set your Instant Pot to sauté and melt your butter. Once melted, add your chicken and seasoning. Then, stir in ½ cup of Franks Hot Sauce and stir well. 2 tbsp butter, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 cup Frank's Original Hot Sauce
- Close and lock the lid and set your pot to Pressure Cook on high pressure. Set the cooking time for 8 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the pot. You can drizzle the remaining hot sauce on it and eat it now, or broil on a baking sheet. 1/4 cup Frank's Original Hot Sauce
- Optional: Using tongs, remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Brush the chicken with the additional 1/4 cup hot sauce. Brown the chicken and thicken the sauce by placing under the broiler for 3 minutes. Turn the chicken over and repeat on the other side. Let the chicken cool 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- 21 Day Fix/Portion Fix: For the entire recipe: 8 Red Containers, 6 Teaspoons. Per Serving: 1 Red Container, ¾ Teaspoon.
- 2B Mindset: Serve with 50% veggies and 25% FFC for a complete lunch. 75% veggies for a complete dinner.
- Weight Watchers: See this post for the WW version.
Nutrition
Make This Recipe?
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I bought frank buffalo wing sauce, now I see it specifically says not buffalo sauce. Does it matter?
If you’re not on a diet, it doesn’t matter. If you’re on a diet, just know that the WW and Fix counts are calculated with the original Franks, not the buffalo :)
Perfect for the football game and no guilt!
Delicious!! Thanks Becca!
I’m wondering if you have an IP that crisps can you empty the sauce and put the crisper function on and proceed that way instead of putting in the oven?
Yes!!
Very tasty!! I didn’t make enough! 🙃 I will have to double it next time!
What would be the oven directions if I don’t have an Instant Pot?
Can this be refrigerated? And my chicken is fresh should I just alter the time to 12?
Yes, it can be. If your chicken is fresh, I’d add 1/2C of water and leave the cook time the same–it’ll just take less time to come to pressure :)
For Weight Watchers…what exactly counts as points?
For the Freestyle program the butter in this recipe is what has points. Is that what you are asking?
Did u cook the fozen chicken on saute for 16 mins or pressure cook for 16 mins?
When the chicken was frozen and I made it, I pressure cooked for 16 minutes.
After the frozen, then cubing, you say to follow the rest of the steps, it says to add the sauce and then pressure cook for 7 minutes… is this in addition to the 16 minutes? Or do you add the franks and all ingredients and pressure cook for 16 minutes and then cube and baste and put in oven??
That was my question too.
I’ve just clarified the directions. After cooking for 16 minutes, head directly to Step #4.
I’m still super confused about the steps here. If I’m using frozen chicken I’m supposed to add all the ingredients except for the butter, which means the hot sauce the pepper and the cayenne pepper and then pressure cook for 16 minutes? And then pressure cook it again for 7 to 8 minutes? I’m confused
If your chicken is completely frozen and you’re using breasts, cook for 16 minutes. Skip adding the butter.
If your chicken is partially frozen cook for 8 minutes.
If your chicken is raw cook for 7 minutes.
Do you use leftover sauce from the instant pot on the chicken, or do you use new 1/4 cup of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce? Also, when younsay “thicken the sauce” in the last step, do you mean it will thicken when broiled?
Hi there!! In the ingredient list is an extra 1/4C if sauce at the end, that’s what you use. And yes, the sauce will thicken under the broiler!
can you make it in the crockpot and would i have to alter any of the ingredients
Hi there! I haven’t made this in the crockpot, but I would try it for sure! I can’t think of any ingredients you would have to alter :)
Awesome!! How long would I cook it in the crockpot??
Brooke, I can’t give you an estimate on this because I haven’t done it. I’m sorry!